Yankee Effort Like Night and Day

Split Doubleheader as Offense is a No Show

You can expect the Yankees or any other team to have trouble scoring runs off of a red-hot Dontrelle Willis, but as usual, the Yankees couldn't solve a soft-tossing rookie as they split yesterday's day-night doubleheader at The Stadium. Mike Mussina out dueled Willis (4-7) in the opener 2-1 as Johnny Damon provided all of the offense. With the game tied 1-1 in the 7th Damon drove a Willis hanger into the upper deck for his 11th home run of the season and a 2-1 lead.

Mussina (9-3) exited after 7 innings, allowing 1 run on 5 hits, walked 2 and struck out 6. Included in the strike outs was career strike out number 2,500 - the Marlins Cody Ross was the victim. Mussina became the 28th pitcher to reach the 2,500 plateau and is 2 strike outs behind Christy Mathewson for 27th on the all-time list. It was also career victory number 233.

Before Mussina could pick up the victory Kyle Farnsworth had to perform is usual tightrope act. Singles by Mike Treanor and Hanley Ramirez, plus a stolen base by Ramirez, put the tying and go ahead runs in scoring position with just one out. Farnsworth bounced back, striking out Mike Jacobs for the 2nd out. An intentional walk to Miguel Cabrera loaded the bases, but Farnsworth got Josh Willingham to fly out to Melky Cabrera in deep left to get out of the jam. Mariano Rivera retired the Marlins in order in the 9th for his 16th save.

The nightcap was played before a sparse crowd of just over 6,800 that had to sit through rain and a flat performance by the Yankees. It probably felt like a home game for the attendance challenged Marlins. Yankees starter Shawn Chacon was his mediocre self, allowing 3 runs (2 earned) in 5 innings as the Yankees were shut out for the first time this season, 5-0. Chacon was the starter in Saturday's game that was postponed in the 1st inning. Chacon (4-2) threw 16 pitches, but felt strong enough on Sunday to start again.

The Yankees hitters apparently did not get notified there was another game. They looked sickly against Anibal Sanchez who was making his Major League debut. The 22-year old was part of the trade that sent Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell to the Boston Red Sox. He kept the Yankee hitters off-balance with a low 90s fastball mixed with breaking pitches. Sanchez scattered 7 hits over 5 2-3 innings, didn't walk a batter and struck out two.

The Marlins jumped on Chacon in the 1st inning, just as they had in the rainout on Saturday. After Chacon retired the first two hitters, Miguel Cabrera, Willingham, and Jeremy Hermidia stroked consecutive singles for a 1-0 lead. The Yankees had a chance to come right back in the bottom half of the inning when Derek Jeter reached 2nd on a single and an error, but Alex Rodriguez popped out to end the inning.

In the third Cabrera crushed a ball well over 400 feet for his 11th home run of the season and a 2-0 Marlins lead. Again the Yankees had a chance to strike right back in the bottom of the 3rd. Johnny Damon and Derek Jeter stroked 1-out singles, but Jason Giambi struck out looking and Rodriguez grounded out.

The Marlins added another run in the 5th when the Yankees looked like the inexperienced team rather than their opponents. With Reggie Abercrombie on first and one out Alfredo Amezaga hit a bouncer to Giambi at first. Giambi fielded it cleanly, but was afraid of throwing the ball away in attempt to get the force. He should have just eaten the ball - instead he spun and picked up an error as his low throw couldn't be handled by Chacon. The speedy Abercrombie raced to third to put runners on the corners and set up the next sloppy play.

All little league catchers are taught to check the runner at third when there is a threat of a steal or squeeze play. Evidently Yankees catcher Kelly Stinnett forgot that. Amezaga broke for 2nd on the front end of a double steal. Abercrombie started to break for home and then held up- but as soon as Stinnett- who never looked him back to third, fired to 2nd, Abercrombie was off again, easily beating the throw home from Robinson Cano for a 3-0 lead.

Marlins first baseman Wes Helms robbed the Yankees of their last real scoring attempt in the bottom of the 6th. Jason Giambi led off with a single before being forced by A-Rod. Derek Jeter then doubled in the gap to put runners in scoring position with just one out. That's when Helms ended the Yankees hopes. Bernie Williams ripping a hanging fastball to the right side, but Helms dove and snared it for the 2nd out instead of a 2-run single. Hard throwing Randy Messenger replaced Sanchez (1-0) and retired Melky Cabrera on a pop-out to 2nd to end the inning.

The Marlins added a couple more unearned runs off of Ron Villone as Giambi committed his 2nd throwing error of the game. Giambi missed the first game with back spasms and probably should have sat out the 2nd too. The Yankees rolled over and played dead in their final 3 at-bats and slunk off into the night.

Notes

Robinson Cano pulled up lame after doubling in the nightcap and appeared to have a badly strained left hamstring. He'll be re-evaluated today. The Yankees certainly cannot afford to lose another productive bat. Cano had gotten a hit in 20 of his last 22 games.

Johnny Damon DH'ed the 2nd game to rest his various ailments and extended his hitting streak to 6 games. Over that stretch Damon is hitting .409 (9-22) with 5 walks, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 5 runs scored, and 3 stolen bases.